System and method for data protection for storage systems

A computer-implemented data protection method, the method comprising:

• receiving, by at least one computing device, information representing failure of a drive, wherein the drive is assigned to a Redundant Array of Independent Drives (RAID) group;
• identifying, by the at least one computing device, available storage on each of a plurality of drives in use in the RAID group;
• building, by the at least one computing device, at least one virtual drive using at least the available storage on the plurality of drives in use in the RAID group;
• providing, by the at least one computing device, data associated with the failed drive to the at least one virtual drive;
• assigning, by the at least one computing device, the at least one virtual drive to the RAID group, wherein the at least one virtual group appears to a RAID controller associated with the RAID group to be the failed drive in a non-failed state;
• receiving, by the at least one computing device, information representing the failed drive having been replaced by a replacement drive;
• providing, by the at least one computing device, data from the at least one virtual drive to the replacement drive;
• assigning, by the at least one computing device, the replacement drive to the RAID group, wherein the replacement drive appears to the RAID controller to be the failed dive;
• releasing, by the at least one computing device, the at least one virtual drive from the RAID group;
• providing, by the at least one computing device, security measures including locking drives assigned to the RAID group;
• and
• requiring, by the at least one computing device, a physical key and a virtual key to unlock the drives.

A computer-implemented data protection system, the system comprising:

• at least one computing device, wherein the at least one computing device is configured by executing instructions for:
• receiving information representing failure of a drive, wherein the drive is assigned to a Redundant Array of Independent Drives (RAID) group;
• identifying available storage on each of a plurality of drives in use in the RAID group;
• building at least one virtual drive using at least the available storage on the plurality of drives in use in the RAID group;
• providing data associated with the failed drive to the at least one virtual drive;
• assigning the at least one virtual drive to the RAID group, wherein the at least one virtual group appears to a RAID controller associated with the RAID group to be the failed drive in a non-failed state;
• receiving information representing the failed drive having been replaced by a replacement drive;
• providing data from the at least one virtual drive to the replacement drive;
• assigning the replacement drive to the RAID group, wherein the replacement drive appears to the RAID controller to be the failed dive;
• releasing the at least one virtual drive from the RAID group;
• providing, by the at least one computing device, security measures including locking drives assigned to the RAID group;
• and
• requiring, by the at least one computing device, a physical key and a virtual key to unlock the drives.